BCL Online Picks — February 12, 2026

February 12, 2026/BCL/
Photo Credit: Muhammadh Saamy on Unsplash

Photo Credit: Muhammadh Saamy on Unsplash

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AI disruption, perseverance in faith, sexual integrity, disability ministry, contested views of the Crusades, and the real Jesus—this week’s online picks tackle big questions with biblical clarity and historical depth.

1. What I Tell My Kids

Artificial intelligence is here to stay—and it is shaping our world faster than many of us realize. In the wake of Matt Shumer’s viral “Something Big Is Happening” article, Kara Dedert brings the AI conversation into the home in this Substack post. She explains what she tells her children about artificial intelligence, encouraging them to learn it and harness its potential, while also stepping away from it regularly. Tools are powerful, she reminds us, but they must never replace disciplined thinking or embodied life. If you’re wondering how to raise wise, grounded kids in an AI-shaped world, this balanced reflection is well worth your time. Read it here →

2. How to Not Fall Away

Have you wrestled with the tension between confidence in Christ and the call to keep pressing on? Pastor and author Paul T. Neal at Reformation21 offers a timely word on how believers can persevere in faith without fear of falling away, grounding his encouragement in Scripture and the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. Neal brings the focus to the practical and pastoral, helping readers think carefully about assurance and endurance in the Christian life. (Many thanks to The Aquila Report for bringing this article to our attention.) Read it here →

3. What does the Bible say about Sex before Marriage?

In this Substack post Rev. Robert Irvine offers a clear, Scripture-centered reflection on what the Bible teaches about sex before marriage, arguing that sexual intimacy belongs exclusively within the covenant of marriage and that anything outside that framework falls under the Bible’s warnings against sexual immorality. Drawing on passages such as 1 Corinthians 6 and Hebrews 13, he challenges both the church and the world to rethink how casually premarital sex is often treated. Rooted in both doctrinal conviction and pastoral concern, this piece calls believers to live with sexual integrity in an age of moral confusion. Read it here →

4. Rethinking the Crusades

Over at the Heidelblog R. Scott Clark revisits one of the most controversial chapters in Christian history. How should believers think about the Crusades—not through modern political lenses, but in light of the church’s theology, historical context, and the development of just war thinking? Clark invites readers to move beyond caricatures and consider how our understanding of the past shapes our witness in the present. If you care about history and the credibility of the Christian faith, this is worth your time. Read it here →

5. 4 Myths about the Crusades

Following up on R. Scott Clark’s article above, Paul F. Crawford at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute takes a closer look at common misunderstandings about these same medieval campaigns. Rather than rehearse caricatures, Crawford unpacks four widely accepted “myths”—from claims of unprovoked aggression to ideas about long-term Muslim reaction—and shows how much of what “everyone knows” doesn’t withstand scrutiny. (Many thanks to Heidelblog readers for bringing this article to our attention in the comments section of Clark’s post!) Read it here →

6. What Does Discipleship in Disability Ministry Look Like?

Over at Crossway Sandra Peoples offers a compelling look at what discipleship in disability ministry really looks like, urging churches to move beyond “babysitting” and instead intentionally disciple people with disabilities through accessible environments and spiritual plans that help them grow in Christlikeness. She shows how inclusion isn’t just about physical presence but about hearing, understanding, and responding to the gospel in ways that meet real needs. If you care about discipleship that reflects the full breadth of the body of Christ, this practical, gospel-centered piece is well worth your time. Read it here →

7. Faith in the Real Jesus

In this essay at Modern Reformation, Australian theologian Graeme Goldsworthy warmly calls us to place our faith in the real Jesus revealed in Scripture—not a version shaped by sentiment or preference. By reflecting on Christ as our prophet, priest, and king, Goldsworthy shows how a fuller understanding of who Jesus is and what he has accomplished steadies the heart and deepens assurance. Read it here →